Jaeger von Jaegers
by Shadowblade217
Summary: When the world comes under attack by the otherworldly Kaiju, a small group of brave defenders fight back, using giant machines known as Jaegers to combat the threat. But they will not fight alone, as a primal force of nature rises from the deep to join the war... but will the greatest monster of them all be humanity's salvation, or its doom? Rebuild of King of the Monsters.


**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Godzilla_ , _Pacific Rim_ , or any other franchise elements contained herein.

 **A/N:** _Hi there, everyone! Normally, I put author's notes at the end of the chapter, but in this case I thought that it would be more important to put them here, to avoid any confusion. Now, for anyone who's reading this and doesn't know, I have previously written another crossover between the Godzilla and Pacific Rim franchises, entitled_ _ **King of the Monsters**_ _. It was my first major accomplishment as a fanfiction writer, in my opinion – lots of people liked it, and it even has its own TV Tropes page, which I'm very proud of. However, when I looked back on it recently, I cringed a bit at my early writing style, and I decided that there were many ways in which I could have improved the story. My other inspiration for this story was the excellent fanfic writer Thuktun Flishithy, who has written two excellent stories that cross over the Godzilla and Evangelion franchises. After their first story,_ _ **Hail to the King**_ _, they later created a similar story, called_ _ **Leviathan**_ _, which serves as a rebuild or reimagining of the first story's concept. To that end, after inspiration struck, I have decided to do the same thing here;_ _ **Jaeger von Jaegers**_ _will be a reimagining of_ _ **King of the Monsters**_ _, with many similarities, but also many differences that will become clear as the story progresses. Hopefully, it will be just as entertaining for you all, so I hope you enjoy!_

 _And so, without further ado, I present:_

 _ **Jaeger von Jaegers**_

 **Chapter 1: The Coming Storm**

.

 _KAIJU_ _(_ _怪獣_ _, kaijū, Japanese) "Giant Beast."_

 _JAEGER_ _(yā'ger, German) "Hunter."_

 _JAEGER VON JAEGERS_ _(yā'ger von yā'gers, German) "Hunter of Hunters."_

.

 _When I was a kid, whenever I'd feel small or lonely, I'd look up at the stars. Wondering if there was life out there somewhere, if we were alone in the universe._

 _Of course, it turns out I was looking in the wrong direction. When alien life entered our world, it was from deep beneath the Pacific Ocean._

 _They're called Kaiju. Giant monsters, as tall as skyscrapers. Everywhere they go, death and destruction follows._

 _The first Kaiju attack took place in 1954, when a giant creature emerged from the depths of the Pacific and attacked the islands of Japan. The devastation it caused was staggering, even worse than the damage inflicted ten years earlier during World War II. Tokyo, Japan's capital city, was razed to the ground in less than a week. Thousands died. Nothing could stop the monster; humanity was powerless against its wrath._

 _No weapon devised by man could harm the First Kaiju. Guns, missiles, tanks, fighter jets… the Japanese military tried every weapon in their arsenal, but nothing had any effect. The government was considering the unthinkable – a nuclear strike on Tokyo itself – but that might have caused even more damage than the Kaiju. Fortunately, there turned out to be another option. A scientist, a brilliant chemist named Daisuke Serizawa, had invented a device that could manipulate oxygen. It had been meant as a source of new, clean energy, but it could also be used to destroy the oxygen molecules in water, suffocating all the marine life within range. Since the Kaiju was amphibious, spending the day submerged in Tokyo Bay before emerging to ravage the city once night fell, the government felt confident that they could kill the beast using Serizawa's Oxygen Destroyer._

 _Serizawa was horrified; he'd never wanted his invention to be used as a weapon. But, considering the alternative, he didn't really have a choice._

 _Fortunately for the world, the plan succeeded. Serizawa activated the device himself, at the bottom of Tokyo Bay, where the First Kaiju slept during the day. The Oxygen Destroyer did its deadly work; the First Kaiju was killed, along with all other marine life in the bay. Serizawa himself, however, never resurfaced. He sacrificed his life to destroy the monster, and to ensure that the Oxygen Destroyer could never be built or used again._

 _After the First Kaiju's destruction, Serizawa's best friend and colleague, Dr. Kyohei Yamane, pleaded with the world's governments to put an end to the use of nuclear weapons, fearing that it might cause another Kaiju to rise from the depths someday. Of course, politicians being the way they are, the most important people didn't listen to him, and the human race continued testing new, more powerful nuclear weapons._

 _Sure enough, several other Kaiju turned up over the next few years. A pair of huge flying reptiles called the Rodans attacked Japan in 1956, just a couple of years after the First Kaiju's attack on Tokyo. A giant insect called Mothra appeared in 1961. And then there was the California Incident in 1973, when another monster attacked the California coast._ _But each of those threats were beaten back, the Kaiju defeated and either killed or sent packing back to whatever hole they crawled out of._

 _After that, it stopped. Not a single report or sighting, for the next forty years. Everyone thought it was over, that we would never see another Kaiju._

 _And then, in 2013, the Breach opened._

 _No one knows how it was created, but it just appeared one day, as if by magic. A portal between dimensions, formed on a fissure between two tectonic plates, at the bottom of the Pacific. And from it,_ they _came forth._

 _Kaiju. Far worse than any which had appeared in the past. The Kaiju that had attacked in the past, except for the First Kaiju, had behaved more like animals; there wasn't any real malice behind their actions._

These _Kaiju were different. They were indiscriminate killers, death incarnate, and their only purpose was to destroy everything in their path._

 _I was fifteen years old when the first Breach Kaiju, designated Trespasser, made landfall in San Francisco. By the time tanks, jets and missiles took it down, six days and thirty-five miles later, three cities were destroyed. Tens of thousands of lives were lost._

 _The world reacted the same way it had to other Kaiju attacks over the years. We mourned our dead, memorialized the attack, and moved on._

 _But then, only six months later, a second Kaiju hit Manila. Once again, thousands of innocent people were killed._

 _And then the third one hit Cabo. And then the fourth. And then we learned… this was not gonna stop. This was just the beginning._

 _The world's governments clamored for a solution, but none was easily forthcoming. Conventional weapons were basically useless against the Kaiju, nukes caused too much collateral damage, and the Oxygen Destroyer was long lost to time._

 _We needed a new weapon._

 _The world came together, pooling its resources and throwing aside old rivalries for the greater good. To fight monsters, we created monsters of our own: giant robots, operated by human pilots, who could fight the Kaiju hand-to-hand._

 _The Jaeger Program was born._

 _There were setbacks at first. The neural load required to interface with a Jaeger proved to be too much strain for a single pilot. Fortunately, the scientists in charge of the program were able to devise a solution. A two-pilot system was developed, based on the neural systems of DARPA jet fighters. Left-hemisphere, right-hemisphere pilot control._ _Most people call it the Drift: t_ _wo pilots, mind-melding through their memories, with the body of a giant machine. The deeper the bond, the better you fight._

 _We started winning. Jaegers stopping Kaijus everywhere. We were pushing them back, keeping them at bay._

 _But then…_

 _Then it all changed._

.

 _Kitakyushu, Japan_

 _November 2015_

 _Two years into the Kaiju War_

If it weren't for the burning city, the weather would have been quite lovely. Gray clouds filled the sky overhead, and an ominous bank of fog was slowly rolling in from the open sea. But what was happening in the city would have prevented any observer from simply watching and enjoying the view.

Thick black smoke rushed into the clouded sky from a thousand fires, billowing thousands of feet into the air. The dense black clouds concealed what was happening in the city, but it could clearly be heard. Rumbling explosions echoed for miles, accompanied by other sounds that were far more unnerving: savage, bestial shrieks and howls, clashing with what sounded like the blaring of an immense foghorn.

.

Several miles up the coast, the constant, rushing sound of the waves pounding against the shore rolled on and on, timeless and eternal.

The peaceful silence was broken, abruptly, by a very different sound: the rhythmic chopping of helicopter blades. Moments later, the source of the noise came into view over a hill.

It was an awesome sight. Not just one helicopter, but a whole fleet of the massive aircraft, cruised over the hills of southern Japan. The truly extraordinary thing, however, was what they carried.

Long metal cables trailed from the underbelly of each chopper, all of which were attached to the same thing: a massive, humanoid figure, made entirely of dark gray metal that gleamed dully under the clouded sky.

The helicopters moved on, gliding through the air towards their destination.

.

Stacker Pentecost stood in the Conn Pod of the Jaeger Coyote Tango, trying to control his breathing. This would be the first time he'd actually gone up against a Kaiju, the monsters that had been attacking coastal cities for the last two years. He'd grown up hearing stories about Kaiju, and the idea of actually fighting one was still a daunting prospect.

 _You all right, Stacker?_ , a soft voice whispered into his mind. Pentecost turned his head, meeting the questioning gaze of his Drift partner and copilot, Tamsin Sevier. The redheaded British pilot quirked an eyebrow, sensing his nervousness through the link between their minds.

Pentecost steeled his nerves, taking a deep breath. His eyes narrowed in a warrior's glare as he stared at the rising column of smoke on the horizon, drawing ever closer. _Yes,_ he sent back, before switching to vocal communication. "Let's send another of these bastards to hell."

Tamsin grinned. "You know it."

The Conn-Pod shuddered around them as the choppers altered course slightly, zeroing in on the besieged city.

And then Coyote was lifted over the crest of the hill, and they saw what lay before them.

They'd known what to expect, but even so, Tamsin inhaled sharply.

Pentecost's eyes widened. "Bloody hell," he muttered.

The two combatants waging a brutal conflict in the heart of the city were clearly visible, even at such a distance. Brawler Yukon, the prototype Jaeger and – so far – the only one to actually have any Kaiju kills under its belt, was brawling with the largest Breach Kaiju to date, Keunsango. The Jaeger was clearly coming off worse in the fight; it swayed unsteadily on its feet due to a crushed hip joint, and one shoulder had been torn open, showing a smoldering, sparking gash. The Jaeger's pilots, Caitlin Lightcap and Sergio D'onofrio, were opting for a fairly straightforward strategy; knowing that they had backup coming, and that they stood no chance in a straight fight, they were bearing down on the Kaiju with their Jaeger's full weight in an effort to pin it, while using their good arm to shield the Conn-Pod. It wasn't doing much to the Kaiju, but they were able to avoid taking any further damage.

"Brawler, come in!" Tamsin hollered over the radio. "What's your status?"

" _We're okay, Coyote!_ " Caitlin Lightcap's voice replied, somewhat shakily. " _But we've lost mobility; we've got serious damage to the left leg and the right shoulder! You've gotta get this bastard off of us!_ "

"We've got this," Pentecost replied with a brisk nod. "Get clear!"

The tow cables detached and, with a resounding impact, Coyote Tango slammed to earth directly in front of the battling pair. Keunsango twisted away from Brawler, letting out a low, scratching hiss as it turned to face its new challenger. The Kaiju resembled a giant salamander, with a long, low-slung body and limbs that resembled fins more than reptilian arms and legs, and a wide mouth filled with multiple rows of razor-sharp fangs. Its jaws hung agape as it slunk towards them, teeth bared; whatever damage Brawler had done to it, it wasn't enough to slow it down.

For a long moment, Coyote and Keunsango circled, sizing each other up. The Kaiju let out a challenging snarl, which was answered by the blare of Coyote's foghorn.

Pentecost and Tamsin exchanged a glance, readying themselves. Pentecost took a deep breath, readying himself for the impending clash.

And then both the Jaeger and the Kaiju charged simultaneously, and collided.

.

 _Deep sea, Pacific Ocean…_

Far beneath the ocean surface, in the lightless void of the deep, something stirred.

An eye opened, its burning orange light illuminating the depths. A pair of immense jaws parted, letting out a deep-toned rumble that echoed from between rows of gleaming white fangs.

Slowly, mud and stones cascaded off the back of the immense creature as it rose slowly to its feet, towering above the seafloor. A human at these depths would have been crushed by the water pressure, frozen by the cold, and rendered blind by the impenetrable darkness, but the beast was totally unscathed. Its vision, far more sensitive than the human eye, could see everything in its environment.

For a long moment, the beast contemplated his surroundings. He wasn't sure what had prompted him to awaken from his hibernation, but something was not right. His senses, especially the one which allowed him to detect others of his own kind, or threats, from great distances, had alerted him. He could feel something, like a pressure on the fringes of his awareness. Something strange, unnatural… something that didn't belong in his world.

Something… _other_.

And then he knew. He knew, and the rush of ancestral memories that welled up within him filled his fiery heart with a primal, burning rage. His head fell back, immense jaws open, and he full-out roared; the sound echoed throughout the immense ocean, seeming to shake the seafloor itself, audible for miles around. Every sea creature that could hear it either turned tail and fled or concealed itself within any cover it could find.

None of this meant anything to the beast. All that concerned him was the object of his rage.

The Others. The enemies of his ancestors, the terrors from another world, had returned.

In an instant, his mind was made up. He would hunt down this abomination, and he would tear and rend it to bloody shreds. His kind might no longer be numerous as they had once been, but this was still _his_ world, and nothing else was going to threaten it. With a vicious snarl, he pushed off the ocean floor and sped towards the source of the disturbance, powering his immense mass through the water with a speed that seemed impossible, considering the sheer size of his gigantic form. His eyes blazed with pure, unadulterated wrath, and the water around him seemed to boil.

The King had returned, and he was on the hunt.

.

 _Kitakyushu, Japan…_

Coyote Tango and Keunsango collided with the force of a tidal wave, arms locking into a clinch as their upper bodies slammed together. The Jaeger's longer arms gave it an advantage, which it used to force back the Kaiju, giving them an opening to deploy more formidable weaponry.

"Arming mortars!" Tamsin snapped, readying the launch systems for the Jaeger's missiles. "Keep him off us!"

"On it!" Pentecost replied, locking his arm in position to hold off the Kaiju's jaws while Tamsin took aim and fired at point-blank range.

The detonation of the high-intensity shells at such close range blasted the Jaeger and Kaiju apart, sending Coyote skidding backwards and knocking Keunsango flat on its back. Thrashing around, the Kaiju rolled back to its feet, curling protectively around the injury to its side. It let out a venomous screech, glaring at the Jaeger with its gleaming eyes, and bared its teeth in preparation for a lunge.

Pentecost clenched his fists, as he and Tamsin both prepared for the Kaiju's lunge. A moment later, Keunsango surged forward and crashed into the Jaeger. Tamsin caught the monster under its chin with an uppercut from the Jaeger's left hand, while Pentecost armed the energy caster in its right arm. The caster ignited with a crackling surge of power, and he drove it into the creature's flank, opening a wound. Keunsango howled in pain, its toxic blue blood sizzling as it contacted the Jaeger's iron skin, and tried to squirm away, before twisting around and slamming its long, heavy tail into their side, knocking Coyote off its feet, before lunging at them again.

" _Coyote! Status?_ " a voice yelled over the radio link.

Rather than waste time trying to get up, Pentecost simply aimed the caster and fired again, blasting the Kaiju and staggering it back in mid-lunge. "We're fine!" he called out as Coyote rolled back to its feet, raising its arms to meet the monster's next charge.

Back and forth, attack and defense, their battle raged along the shoreline of Dokai Bay, smashing through the harbor. Buildings were pulverized, docks crushed into splinters, and Pentecost could only hope that Brawler's earlier fight with the Kaiju had bought enough time for the civilians in the area to evacuate, as they weren't in a position to worry about collateral damage at the moment.

They battled on for minute after minute, struggling with the Kaiju for almost an hour, until their ammunition had almost run dry and they were relying on a combination of the energy caster and sheer brute force to keep Keunsango at bay. They continued to charge back at the snarling beast, leaning more into their swings as exertion began to weigh on them, but fighting on regardless, driving the Kaiju back out of the port and onto the nearby open headland, rising up higher and higher above the water of the bay.

And then, suddenly, the worst happened. Keunsango shrieked, lunging at them full-force. They were able to brace in time to meet the Kaiju's charge, and they did not buckle under the colossal impact.

The earth of the headland beneath them, however, did.

The headland gave way beneath the Jaeger's feet as Keunsango slammed into it, and a large area of earth caved in and collapsed outwards. Tumbling, locked together, Coyote and Keunsango plunged from the top of the headland and crashed into the bay with a tremendous explosion of rushing water.

" _FUCK!_ " Pentecost wasn't sure whether the roar was his or Tamsin's or both, but it didn't matter. Alarms blared, sparks flew from the control panels, and he felt pain in his legs and in spots on his torso and knew that the Jaeger's hull had to be compromised, they were leaking, water was getting in–

With a roar, coughing and gasping even though there was no actual water in the Conn-Pod, they heaved the Jaeger to its feet, standing waist-deep in the bay, adjusting their controls to restore full visibility.

But Keunsango was nowhere in sight.

"What?!" Tamsin spluttered. "The fuck'd he go?!"

" _Coyote! We've got him, he's diving!_ " The voice belonged to the pilot of one of the military helicopters that were serving as their spotters, making sure they didn't lose sight of the Kaiju. " _God damn it, he's running! He's picking up speed, heading north-northwest, towards the mouth of the bay!_ "

Pentecost gaped at the readings. "What the – I don't believe – of all the cowardly – _you bloody great WANKER, get back here!_ "

They started after the Kaiju, churning the water as they waded further out into the bay, but they both knew that even if the Jaeger were at 100% efficiency at the moment, they still wouldn't be fast enough to overtake the Kaiju.

But then… something unexpected happened.

.

Brian Shimura, a young Japanese-American news reporter who'd taken up the daunting assignment for covering the Kaiju attack on Kitakyushu, was seriously regretting his life choices at the moment.

Along with his cameraman, Yoshi Masahara, Brian had volunteered to become part of what the world's media had already nicknamed "the Kaiju-chasers", reporters who would follow the monsters whenever they appeared in order to chronicle the attacks. It made sense; every young news reporter would have jumped at the chance to be like Steve Martin, the world-famous journalist who had chronicled the thrilling tale of the First Kaiju's attacks on Japan in 1954. Brian knew about that incident all too well; his own grandfather had been in Tokyo at the time of the attack, and he'd been told stories about it as a child.

This was the first Kaiju attack he'd witnessed in the flesh. Even in an INN news helicopter, a safe distance away from the action, it was terrifying to witness a battle of this scale.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is unbelievable!" Brian shouted into his microphone headset, struggling to be heard over the roar of the wind outside the chopper, as he clung to a handhold with one arm. "Just moments ago, the Jaeger Coyote Tango and its Kaiju adversary both toppled off the elevated headland into the bay. Fortunately, the Jaeger seems to have survived without much damage and is getting back to its feet, but I can't tell where the Kaiju has gone."

"There!" Yoshi called out, pointing down at the ocean some distance out into the bay. Brian turned and looked, just in time to see a huge mass glide directly under the chopper, training blue blood from its injuries. His eyes widened, and he tightened his grip on the handhold.

"We've spotted the Kaiju! It appears to have given up the fight, and is heading away from the Jaeger, towards the mouth of the bay! This is the first time such behavior has been observed in this type of Kaiju, so this may–" Suddenly, Brian frowned, as he noticed something odd. "This is strange. The Kaiju was heading for the mouth of the bay, but for some reason… it appears to have stopped." He looked out towards the open ocean, but all he could see was a dense wave of fog rolling in off the open ocean, the first front of an approaching thunderstorm.

.

As Coyote Tango came to a somewhat unwilling halt, the radio crackled again. " _Coyote, something's going on,_ " came another transmission from their spotter pilot.

Pentecost looked to Tamsin, seeing her mirroring his confused frown. "What is it?" he asked.

" _The bastard was almost at the mouth of the bay, when he just stopped. I'm not sure what he's doing; it looks like he's still facing away from shore. We're gonna try and get a closer look._ "

"Maybe we hurt him worse than we thought, and he's bleeding out?" Tamsin speculated.

" _Don't think so; there's not much Blue in the water, so I don't think he's hurt too bad yet._ " The spotter paused. " _Hang on… he's swimming in a tight little circle. This is weird; we've never seen Kaiju behavior like this._ "

.

As Keunsango neared the mouth of the bay, a sudden sensory stimulus brought it up short. It froze, reaching out with its senses, attempting to locate the source of the disturbance.

Whatever it was, it was coming from the open ocean, where the water dropped off into the depths. Keunsango's acute senses detected a strange pressure in the water, like the bow wave of a large mass approaching. A deep rumble echoed through the water, reaching the Kaiju's ears.

In that moment, Keunsango realized that it had wandered into the domain of a superior hunter. Shock jolted through its body, and it wheeled about, racing back towards shore with the speed that only fear can bring.

.

" _Coyote!_ " the spotter called out. " _He's turned around; he's heading straight back towards you, and he's booking it! He'll be on you any second!_ "

Pentecost's eyes widened, and he shot a look at Tamsin, who nodded. They reactivated the energy caster and entered a fighting stance, readying themselves for the Kaiju's renewed assault.

Only, that wasn't what happened. Instead, Keunsango erupted out of the water several hundred yards to their left, further out along the headland, and began scrambling up away from the water, as if it was trying to escape inland.

"What the hell?" Tamsin muttered. "Where's he think he's going?"

"Doesn't matter," Pentecost replied, readying the caster. "Let's finish this."

She nodded, and they started forwards, wading onto shore as one arm prepped the caster, while the other clenched into a fist, ready to beat this bastard to death with their bare hands if necessary–

" _Coyote, wait! Stop!_ " the spotter's voice yelled.

Pentecost and Tamsin both stared incredulously at the speaker. " _What?!_ " they exclaimed, once again in unison due to the Drift.

Of all the reasons Pentecost had been expecting, it hadn't been this. "What the hell is it now?" he snapped.

The pilot's response stopped him dead in his tracks.

" _There's something else out there._ "

They both stared at each other for a moment. Tamsin was the first to speak up. "What the hell are you talking about?"

" _We're picking up another signature. It doesn't match anything on record; it's not a Breach Kaiju, it's not a Jaeger, and it's not a submarine. But whatever it is, it's coming your way, fast._ "

"What?" Pentecost looked back at Keunsango, but, to his surprise, the Kaiju seemed to be ignoring them completely; instead, it was still attempting to clamber up the embankment of the headland, a task that was made more difficult by its flipper-like limbs.

"Where is it?" Tamsin asked.

" _Just entered the bay. I'm losing visual, the fog's coming in too fast._ "

Coyote half-turned to its right, letting its pilots keep an eye on Keunsango, while simultaneously focusing their attention on the mouth of the bay. Sure enough, a wall of fog was approaching fast, obscuring their view. Behind it, the dark clouds of a thunderstorm loomed ominously, lightning crackling among the clouds.

.

Brian Shimura shielded his face from a gust of cold air, as the chopper shuddered through a strong headwind from the building storm ahead. "Something very unusual is happening here, folks!" he exclaimed. "The attacking Kaiju was fleeing out to sea, when it suddenly stopped dead in its tracks, turned around, and swam straight back to shore, almost as if it was running from something else. Now both the Kaiju and the Jaeger that was fighting it are looking out at the bay, as if they're looking at something… whatever it is, I can't make it out from here."

"We need to land!" the pilot yelled, struggling with the controls. "You can keep up the broadcast from the ground if you want, but we can't stay up here with that storm coming in."

Brian glanced to Yoshi, who nodded. That settled it; if his level-headed cameraman agreed with the pilot's assessment, it was good enough for him. "All right, set us down!" he hollered back to the pilot. "But make sure it's somewhere where we can still get a good view of what's going on; I need to keep up the broadcast!"

The pilot followed instructions, setting the chopper down on a hill overlooking the city, across from the area where Coyote Tango and Keunsango were now both staring out at the bay. Brian and Yoshi jumped out of the chopper, hurrying away from it as the rotors spun to a stop. The wind was growing stronger, and thunder continued to rumble in the clouds overhead.

"And we're back!" Brian shouted over the wind as Yoshi focused the camera on him again, Coyote and Keunsango visible in the background of the shot. "Both the Jaeger and the Kaiju are still focused intently on something out in the bay. I'm not sure what it is, but…" He trailed off as a deep rumble echoed across the bay, humming in the ears of the entire news crew.

"What…" Brian turned, a chill running down his back as he looked out at the bay. "What was _that?_ "

.

Pentecost felt a chill running down the back of his neck, as he stared out into the bay, waiting to see what this mysterious signature could be. _They said it's not a Breach Kaiju… so what the hell is it? What could scare that thing back to shore?_

"Can you see it?" Tamsin demanded over the radio.

" _Not well; I don't have enough visibility in that fog!_ " the spotter pilot reported. He paused, then continued, " _Wait… I think it's surfacing! About two hundred yards straight ahead of you!_ "

"I don't see anything!" Tamsin glanced to him, her thoughts conveyed through the Drift. _Stacker?_

 _Nothing_ , he sent back, before addressing the radio. "How big is it? Can you get an estimate?"

" _Big, really big, but I can't see any details… wait._ " He was silent for a long moment, but then they heard him whisper, " _Oh, Jesus Christ._ "

The fog was dissipating, and Pentecost could see something now, but it was mostly concealed by the mist and the dark of the storm. But he could distinguish enough to tell that, whatever this thing was, it was truly enormous, a huge dark shape outlined against the dim light filtering through the clouds.

"Stacker?" Tamsin whispered. "What the hell is that?"

A massive thunderclap echoed through the air, and a bolt of lightning lanced across the dark sky, momentarily throwing the entire bay into stark relief.

And then they saw it.

For a moment, Pentecost could swear his heart stopped.

"Big" couldn't describe it; it was gigantic, a towering dark form that loomed over them like a mountain, more than half again as tall as Coyote Tango. It had two powerful arms ending in clawed hands, and it stood upright on two massive, pillar-like legs, standing knee-deep in the bay. A massive tail lashed behind it, and three rows of spiked, bony plates extended from its back. Two glowing orange eyes were locked on Coyote and Keunsango, like burning coals that pierced through the darkness of the storm.

What surprised Pentecost even more, however, was the fact that he recognized this monster instantly. Not from anything he'd seen with his own eyes, but from old war footage dating back to the 1950s. Footage of the 1954 attacks, grainy black-and-white images of a towering monster that rose out of the sea to lay waste to Tokyo, a great black dragon with death in its eyes, shattering buildings and breathing fire.

"It can't be," he breathed, feeling a horror he'd never known before, a primal fear that turned his blood to ice.

.

Brian Shimura gaped in astonishment as the gigantic reptilian monster emerged from the fog like a mirage, advancing towards the shore. His mouth hung open, lips moving, but no sounds emerged. Yoshi had also fallen silent, but his grip on the camera was suddenly white-knuckled, his eyes wide and staring.

"That… that's…" Brian breathed, icy tingles of fear coursing through his body.

Yoshi only spoke a single word. His voice was quiet, but carried a hint of mingled fear and awe.

" _Gojira_."

.

A massive head tilted back, and a set of gaping jaws lined with dagger-like teeth opened wide.

And then a deafening roar filled the air, echoing across the bay and striking fear into the hearts of all those who heard it, as a crack of thunder resounded in the clouds overhead, and multiple bolts of lightning speared through the darkened sky.

Godzilla, the First Kaiju, the King of the Monsters, had returned.

.

Pentecost stared in disbelief at the sight before him. For once, he'd been caught totally off-guard. The threat of the Breach Kaiju was nothing new; he'd trained to fight them, and he wasn't worried. But _this_ … this was beyond anything he could have imagined. For a moment, he actually froze up, before a mental jolt from Tamsin snapped him out of it.

One creature in the area did not seem to be afraid of Godzilla, however. Keunsango, having overcome the instinct that had caused it to flee back to shore, bared its multiple rows of fangs and snarled at the larger monster, lashing its heavy tail back and forth in a challenge.

Godzilla didn't draw back; instead, he curled his black lips and snarled, baring an impressive collection of pointed fangs. He started forwards, wading through the bay and churning up the water in his wake. A deep growl rumbled in his mighty chest, and his eyes flared in rage. The Other was smaller and less intimidating than he'd expected, but he did not care. That only meant that it would die more easily.

As Godzilla approached, Keunsango crouched low, drawing itself back like a snake about to strike. As soon as the larger monster reached the shoreline, it pushed off and sprang, performing an impressive leap, its jaws stretched fully open and aiming for Godzilla's head.

Before Keunsango could reach him, however, the larger monster raised his left arm protectively in front of his face. The smaller Kaiju's jaws latched onto that instead, fangs sinking into the tough hide as it smashed into his torso. The force of the impact rocked Godzilla back on his heels, but there was no other effect.

"Holy shit!" Tamsin exclaimed, her eyes wide. Coyote Tango took a hurried step backwards, trying to stay out of the way. In a fight like this, the last thing they wanted to do was get between the two monsters.

Godzilla bellowed in anger and pain, thrashing about in an effort to dislodge Keunsango, but the smaller Kaiju refused to let go, its fang-filled jaws clamping down like a bulldog.

.

After a long moment of standing there in shock, Brian Shimura realized that he wasn't gaining anything by standing there in a daze. Shaking off his fear, he brought his microphone back to his lips and turned back to the camera.

"This is… a truly unbelievable sight," he stammered, trying to regain his composure. "Another monster, far larger than the Breach Kaiju, has appeared on the scene. This creature does not resemble the Kaiju that have been attacking cities for the last two years; instead, it bears a remarkable similarity to the first Kaiju ever recorded, which attacked Japan in 1954." A thunderous impact interrupted him, as Godzilla swung his arm in an arc, dragging Keunsango with him and whipping its body to one side, smashing it against the ground.

"The two monsters are locked into a clinch!" Brian reported, trying to suppress the tremors in his voice. "The larger monster is attempting to dislodge the Breach Kaiju's grip on its arm, but it doesn't seem to be having much luck. This is unlike anything I've ever seen! Fortunately, the Jaeger Coyote Tango appears to be taking up a protective position between the monsters and the nearby city, as I'm not sure anything else could stop creatures like this."

.

Having been unable to shake Keunsango off, Godzilla pulled the smaller monster closer to him and hammered on its back with his right hand, sending shockwaves through its body. Keunsango twitched and spasmed, whipping its tail around and trying to sink its teeth deeper into its enemy's flesh.

The force behind the blows to its back and the top of its head momentarily stunned the smaller monster, causing its death-grip on his arm to slacken. With a bellow, Godzilla spun in a circle and flung out his arm as hard as he could; this time Keunsango's jaws came loose, and the smaller Kaiju was hurled bodily away through the air, crashing down on its back near the port and flattening a fishing cannery under its bulk.

Coyote Tango spun to face the spot where the Kaiju had crashed, energy caster armed as they started towards the Kaiju, ready to re-engage. To their surprise, however, Keunsango flipped upright before they could reach it, letting out a hiss.

"Go for the neck!" Tamsin shouted. "Let's take the bastard's head off!"

"Right!" Pentecost replied, targeting the side of the Kaiju's neck, just behind the head. The caster hummed and crackled with energy as they bore down on the Kaiju, right arm coming around for the killing strike…

And then Keunsango twisted its body, displaying flexibility that no creature that size had any right to possess, and slammed its heavy, paddle-like tail against Coyote's ankles. The Jaeger's feet were swept out from under it, and they toppled, crashing to the ground face-first. The energy blast that could have torn open the Kaiju's neck discharged into the air with a thunderous _CRACK_ of power, punching a hole straight through a decent-sized office building nearby.

.

"And the Jaeger is down!" Brian shouted in dismay over the din. "Fortunately, the Breach Kaiju doesn't appear to be interested in them at the moment, as it still seems focused on the other monster." He watched as Keunsango turned away from Coyote Tango and scrambled into the water, swimming back towards Godzilla with a full head of steam. "It's charging back at the larger monster at full speed!"

.

Pentecost had been momentarily stunned by the violence of the impact, his vision blurred and indistinct, a ringing noise filling his ears. But a voice filtered through his mind, stirring him back to consciousness.

 _Stacker… Stacker…_

"Stacker! Come on, he's getting away!" Tamsin yelled, her voice echoing within the Conn-Pod over the blaring of the alarms.

Pentecost gasped, his full senses returning. "Right," he bit out, adjusting his controls. "Come on, you piece of tin, _move!_ "

With a mighty heave, the Jaeger rose again, rubble falling away from its frame as it moved. They turned, reacquiring Keunsango, and started along the shore in pursuit.

.

Keunsango sped towards Godzilla through the shallow waters along the shore, snarling in rage as it advanced. It would destroy this interloper and carry on with its mission. That was its purpose, and nothing would stop it.

Godzilla watched the Other approach, slicing through the water towards him at its top speed. He realized what it meant to do and let out a deep growl of eagerness as he braced himself to meet its charge.

Just before it reached the larger monster, Keunsango dove beneath the surface, planting all four feet on the muddy bottom of the bay. Then, with an all-out effort, it launched itself straight up and forwards, catapulting itself out of the water like a torpedo, jaws aimed for its enemy's throat, ready to tear into flesh and blood.

For a split second, it seemed as if Godzilla had been caught off-guard by his attacker's maneuver. But as his foe was in mid-leap, he whirled 180 degrees. This had been a deliberate move, as his massive tail came whipping around at incredible speed, and swatted Keunsango out of the air like a gigantic baseball bat. The smaller Kaiju flew back, stunned, and slammed into the side of the headland with a thunderous impact and an explosion of dust and earth.

.

"…and it looks like – holy _shit!_ " Brian Shimura's report was cut off in a full-voiced yell as he saw Godzilla _spin_ , with the speed and agility of a dancer, and smack the other Kaiju aside with a single swing of its enormous tail. The earth under his feet trembled when its tumbling body hit the ground.

"I, ah… certainly hope you could all see that!" he managed, glancing to Yoshi, who was keeping the camera focused on the distant battle. "The Jaeger is back on its feet and rushing to rejoin the battle! It's still anyone's guess how this will end."

.

Coyote came to an abrupt stop as it watched the larger Kaiju tail-slap Keunsango out of the air. The ground under their feet shook from the impact, and the Jaeger staggered slightly as they tried to maintain a solid footing.

Keunsango, although stunned by the impact, managed to roll back to its feet after flailing around for a few seconds. With a hiss, it shrank back, as if its instinctive fear was reasserting itself. Turning away from its monstrous adversary, it began scrambling up the steep side of the embankment, as if attempting to escape or to gain the higher ground for a renewed attack.

Godzilla would not give it the time or the chance, however.

As he stepped forwards, emerging fully from the water, the First Kaiju swept his tail back and forth, a deep growl echoing in his lungs. Suddenly, a deep _thrumming_ sound filled the air, as the spiked plates on his back began to glow with a faint blue light, starting at the tip of his tail and coursing up along his back, the glow brightening as it rose up along his back. Arcs of energy crackled between the spines, building up to a crescendo. He reared back, wisps of blue light leaking out from between his teeth, and his chest inflated as if he was taking a deep breath.

"What the hell?" Tamsin breathed.

And then Godzilla swung his head forwards, opening his jaws wide, and a concentrated beam of crackling blue-white plasma spewed forth. The beam speared into the hillside just beneath where Keunsango was climbing, blasting away tons of soil and rock as Godzilla's head shifted from side to side. A moment later, the hillside above where the beam had struck gave way. Keunsango shrieked, clawing at the ground, but the earth beneath its feet collapsed under its own weight and it slid helplessly back down the hill, crashing to the ground at the base. Thrashing and kicking, it rolled over onto its back, throwing off the dirt, and lifted its head… but then froze as it saw the monster towering over it.

Before his enemy could move, Godzilla's spines crackled with blue light and heat once again, and he fired a second, stronger blast of atomic fire. This time, it struck its target dead-on, engulfing the Breach Kaiju in flames. Keunsango thrashed about, shrieking in agony, before a series of massive explosions engulfed it, drowning out its dying howls.

Godzilla was silent for a moment, staring at the flames. Then his head tilted back, and the First Kaiju let out a deafening, triumphant roar.

.

Pentecost stared in disbelief at the scene before him. His hands were trembling. _We fought that bastard for two hours, and he killed it just like that?!_

"We have to fight _that?_ " Tamsin muttered.

On their screens, Godzilla continued staring at the inferno that had consumed Keunsango for a long moment. The First Kaiju roared again, the sound echoing across the bay. He had emerged from the battle with Keunsango virtually unscathed; the puncture wounds on his arm were already healing.

 _What do we do?_ , Pentecost wondered, not taking his eyes off the massive Kaiju.

Tamsin slowly shook her head. _I don't know. But we can't let him go for the city._

Pentecost nodded slowly, forcing down his fear and focusing on his resolve. _Right._ With a nod, he clenched his fists, arming the Jaeger's weapons systems, and triggered Coyote's foghorn blast, letting the sound echo through the air as he pounded the Jaeger's fists together in a show of defiance.

.

Turning away from the burning remains of the Other, Godzilla started back towards the bay. He had destroyed the abomination; that was enough. Now he felt the urge to find food, as his lengthy hibernation had left him quite hungry.

Just as he waded into the shallows, however, a thunderous noise pierced through the silence. Turning, he quickly identified the source as the strange bipedal creature that had been battling the Other before he had arrived. It was standing a short distance away, and appeared to be challenging him, beating its fists together and letting out a strange booming noise.

Godzilla snorted in something approaching amusement and turned away. He had no quarrel with this strange biped, and slaughtering the Other had put him in a good mood, so he'd decided just to leave.

Then, however, the biped chose to attack him.

This was a bad decision on its part.

.

Pentecost swallowed nervously as the Kaiju glanced in their direction, its orange eyes gleaming. It let out a low rumble…

And then turned away, continuing its march out into the bay.

 _Wait, what?_

Tamsin frowned. "What do we do? I mean, we can't just let that thing leave, can we?"

Pentecost considered that for a moment, then shook his head decisively. "You're right," he decided. "Arming the caster." He held Coyote's arm out to the side, readying the energy caster and taking careful aim at the side of the Kaiju's neck, which might be a weak point. He looked over to Tamsin. _Ready?_

She nodded.

Pentecost exhaled slowly. He centered the crosshairs on the monster's neck, and fired.

.

As Godzilla started out into the bay, there was a sudden thunderclap behind him, and a beam of energy stabbed into his neck and shoulder, slicing into his hide and detonating. He howled in surprise and pain, staggering and whirling around. The metal-skinned biped had raised its right arm and fired some sort of fiery blast at him.

Godzilla snarled, anger welling up within him again. If this thing wanted to challenge him, then he would deal with it accordingly.

As he focused his attention on the biped, however, a strange scent caught his attention. It took him a second to identify it; energy was emanating from the biped, the same type of energy he usually fed upon. It seemed to be concentrated in the center of its torso, beneath its armor.

While he was still angered, Godzilla felt a momentary sense of satisfaction at the convenience that he had been provided. The biped wasn't just a challenger, but also a potential source of food. That made it worth his time.

Letting out a challenging roar, the King of the Monsters started towards the biped, annoyance and hunger both driving him on.

.

"Well, that got his attention," Tamsin remarked dryly, as the Jaeger's pilots entered a fighting stance.

Pentecost nodded, readying himself as he watched the massive Kaiju lumbering towards them. "Are you ready?" he asked.

Tamsin grinned nervously. "Not even close. But what the hell, right?"

Godzilla stomped towards them, his eyes blazing with primal fury. As one, they charged to meet him.

The collision was brutal. Coyote brought its right arm around, the energy caster sizzling to life, and slashed it into the monster's side, burning into the coal-black hide. The other arm came around with one fist clenched, landing a left hook to Godzilla's chin and snapping his head to the side. The Kaiju staggered, off-balance, and they slammed into his gut with a full-force shoulder-charge. The force behind the impact drove him back several steps, but Godzilla quickly braced himself, bringing their momentum to a halt. His clawed hands clamped down on the Jaeger's sides, claws digging into the metal, and he gave a mighty heave, lifting Coyote off its feet and tossing it into the shallow water with a thunderous splash.

Pentecost and Tamsin were both stunned by the sheer force of the impact. Gasping and coughing in pain, they clambered to their feet, Pentecost readying the caster for a second shot. Before they could fire, however, Godzilla turned, his tail whipping around and smashing into the Jaeger's side.

The sheer force behind the blow was unbelievable, far more forceful than anything Keunsango had dealt out. Coyote was knocked sprawling, and the energy caster's shot went wide, missing completely.

Pentecost hissed through clenched teeth as he tried to get back up, struggling with the controls. _How… the hell… do we fight something like this?_

"The only way we can," Tamsin growled, her efforts joining his as they wrestled the battered Jaeger back to its feet. "Together."

Godzilla roared as the Jaeger lunged at him, surging forwards to meet its charge. They both swung a full-force punch, both their attacks hitting home at once. But while Coyote's fist simply glanced off Godzilla's chest, the Kaiju's clawed fist smashed into their abdomen with devastating force, crumpling metal and doubling them over. A moment later, the Kaiju took hold of their arm again and _flipped_ the mechanical giant bodily over his shoulder, letting it crash down onto the shore.

The sheer violence of the impacts knocked both Pentecost and Tamsin senseless for a moment, stars flaring behind their eyes as they hung limp in their harnesses.

Godzilla snarled, seeing that the biped was down and motionless. Crouching over his prey and pinning it down, he raked his claws across its torso repeatedly, tearing metal and gouging rents into its armor. Finally, his claws found a seam, and with a vicious, wrenching yank, he ripped open a jagged rent in the biped's chest.

.

The surge of white-hot pain in his chest was what snapped Pentecost out of his half-conscious daze. Letting out a pained yell, he tried to fight back, but the Jaeger could barely move. It felt like an elephant was standing on his chest as Godzilla rested his full weight on the Jaeger, pinning them down. Through the view window, he could see the First Kaiju tearing at their chest armor, his orange eyes seeming to burn right into Pentecost's.

Suddenly, there was another surge of simulated agony in his chest, and alarms began blaring in the Conn-Pod.

"Tamsin!" Pentecost yelled, panic rising as he realized what had just happened. " _Tamsin!_ "

As Tamsin regained consciousness, gasping and wheezing as she too felt the simulated crushing sensation of Godzilla's weight on top of them, the communications system crackled to life. " _Coyote, we're picking up a radiation leak; your reactor's been breached! Get out of there!_ "

Pentecost's eyes widened, and he looked to Tamsin, but it was too late. A moment later, Godzilla's jaws opened wide, and he lunged.

There was a moment of blinding agony in his chest, and he screamed out in pain, Tamsin's cry mirroring his own.

And then, suddenly, the pain, the alarms, the flashing lights… all of it flickered off like a light switch, and the Conn-Pod went dark and silent around them. In an instant, the Drift snapped off, and Pentecost was back in his own mind. Tamsin's presence was still there, faint and flickering, but the closeness they'd had earlier was gone.

 _Gone._

 _No… no, that's not right…_

"Tamsin?" He began frantically scrabbling at his motion rig, trying to disengage almost on autopilot, desperate to reach his partner, even as he heard the sounds of tearing metal and the Jaeger lurched again.

.

Godzilla snarled as he plunged his jaws through the now-gaping rent in the metal biped's chest, finally finding what he'd been seeking. His jaws clamped down around what he interpreted as the organ that was the source of the energy, and he wrenched backwards, ripping it clean out. Instantly, the biped went limp and fell back, all movement ceasing.

Grunting in satisfaction, the First Kaiju rose to his feet and stepped back, biting down on the organ. His spines hummed and crackled with blue light as he savored the rush of energy coursing into his body, being absorbed into his cells and recharging the atomic power within him. His long hibernation, plus the battles against the Other and the biped, had left him ravenous, and he drained every last bit of the energy from the biped's heart.

.

"Tamsin, are you all right?" Pentecost called out, struggling to free himself from his restraints. " _Tamsin!_ " After straining for a few seconds, he finally found the right button and disengaged, clambering down to the bottom of the Conn-Pod, which was now resting on its back. Tamsin had also released herself, and they crashed into each other and tumbled to the "floor" in a heap, clinging together as best they could, bodies shaking, feeling the aching _emptiness_ in their minds where the other person should have been.

"Power's off," Pentecost gasped. "They said… radiation leak…"

Tamsin nodded. "We need to get out. Come on."

Leaning on each other, trying to stay as close as possible to combat that empty feeling and keep the shock at bay, they staggered unsteadily to the escape hatch – which, fortunately, was on the side of the Jaeger's neck, so they could still access it – wrenched it open, and clambered awkwardly outside onto Coyote's neck, hoisting themselves up onto its shoulder.

From there, they could see the full extent of the damage. Sparks crackled from a huge, jagged gash in Coyote's chest armor. The Jaeger looked like a human who'd been mauled by a bear.

And then, of course, there was the fact that Godzilla was towering over them. To their surprise, in fact, he was totally ignoring the powerless Jaeger, instead focused on a large metal object that he was holding in his jaws. He bit down on it repeatedly, his teeth piercing the armored casing, and appeared to be swallowing something. His mouth was glowing, a pulsing light that seemed as if it was being drained out of the object in his jaws, and the spiked plates on his back were glowing again, humming and crackling with blue light.

Tamsin gawked incredulously at the sight. "Is that… is that our _reactor?_ "

Pentecost stared in disbelief. "It looks like it," he murmured, looking back down at the gaping hole in the Jaeger's chest. "I think he's absorbing all of the radiation."

Finally, the last glow and sparks faded from the reactor. Godzilla snorted, biting down on it once more with a groan of compressed metal, and then opened his jaws and let the now-drained reactor fall harmlessly into the water.

Then he looked down at them, those burning eyes seeming to pierce their souls. Pentecost held Tamsin close, waiting for the end… but it never came. Instead, Godzilla simply let out a deep grunt, with a note of something that sounded almost like satisfaction. Then he turned away from the crippled Jaeger and began walking back out into the water.

After taking a few steps, the King of the Monsters paused; he threw his head back and roared, the sound echoing over the bay as lightning flashed overhead. Then, continuing onwards without a second thought, he waded back into the bay, heading for the open ocean, ignoring the destruction that he'd left in his wake.

Pentecost and Tamsin were left staring in disbelief after the monster, watching numbly from their perch atop the torso of their disabled Jaeger, until their spotting helicopter descended through the clouds, its lights blazing like an angel, to carry them to safety.

.

Brian Shimura stared after the monster as it departed, letting out a final triumphant roar before wading back out into the water, moving away from the city. The young reporter was dumbstruck, almost unable to comprehend the astonishing display of power and savagery that had just been displayed. He looked from the departing form of Godzilla, to the burning remains of Keunsango, and finally to the crumpled form of Coyote Tango. Taking a deep breath and trying to calm himself, he turned and looked into the camera. Yoshi appeared just as rattled as his friend, but he was able, somehow, to hold the camera steady, as he had throughout the battle.

"Ladies and gentlemen…" Brian was silent for a moment, then just shrugged. "I don't believe there are any words for what we've just witnessed. But what is clear to me is that, from this day forward, the Kaiju War, and the world itself, have been changed forever. On this day, a creature from legend has returned to the shores of Japan once again.

"Its name here is _Gojira_ , the destroyer of Tokyo on those fateful days and nights more than sixty years ago. But the rest of the world knows it best by the name given to it by Steve Martin." Brian looked straight into the camera, knowing that the haunted expression on his face must be visible. "It's known as Godzilla, also called the First Kaiju and the King of the Monsters.

"And, today, it has returned."

.

 _Greetings, everyone! So, I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of_ _ **Jaeger von Jaegers**_ _! I assure you, I plan to update as soon as possible._

 _Now, I should address the specific canonicity of various elements of the Godzilla mythology. The only Godzilla film that is canon to this story is the original 1954 film (although some of the details may be slightly altered to better fit into this story's universe), as well as the original films for Mothra and Rodan. Only those three films are canon to this story, although I will be including many other monsters and characters from the rest of the Godzilla franchise. As far as Pacific Rim goes, yes, we will get to the movie's plot soon enough, but I wanted to give Godzilla's return the appropriate spectacle that it deserves._ _For his physical appearance in this story, I'm going with a look resembling the 2014 Legendary Godzilla._

 _Also, I would just like to give a resounding thanks to the excellent fanfiction author_ ** _Jocelyn_** _,_ _whose fantastic Pacific Rim fanfics partially inspired my decision to write this new story. They've also gone into a lot of detail on expanding the backstory of the Jaeger Program and those who participated in it, and I'll actually be borrowing (with their permission, of course) quite a bit of background information from their stories for use here, so I wanted to give them credit for that. Also, please check out their Pacific Rim stories, as they're awesome._

 _I always love getting feedback on my stories, so if anyone has a question or comment regarding this chapter or the story as a whole, please review! (No hate, please; that's not fun for me or anyone else)._

 _Next chapter, the world reacts to Godzilla's return, and we meet some of the characters who'll have major roles to play in this story as it goes on._

 _See you all next time!_


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